Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-31
NERO'S HOUSEHOLD.
The True Christian can do ID.
vine'Work, Even I'm Chains.

VINE ~ OIAS -.
Rev. w. j. Chichester delivered
most striking and eloquent discourse
at the First Presbyterian church yes
terday forenoon to crowded congre
CATION, many Of whom were strangers
He based his line OF thought upon the
two closing verses Of Paul to the Phil
ippians--' Salute every saint in Chris'
Jesus. The brethren that arc with
me greet you. All the saints salute
you, chiefly they that are o. Cesar g
household" The learned divine had
often been puzzled over that portion
of st. Paul's Epistle which conveyed
to the christians of Philippi the saiu-
tations of the saints that
were OF Cesar's household. The EN-
peror of Rome at that time was Nero,
persecutor Of Christians and one of
the most profiigate and vicious tyrants
of all history. How could there be
saints in household which reeked
With vice, immortality and crime--a
household where the slightest ex-
pressed sympathy with the Christian
church would be visited by the most
horrible punishment? And what in-
,tercourse could Paul have with those
saints, even if such there wereI lie
was confined in dungeon, and was
denied access to the outside world.
There was only one way in which
Paul could have spread the truths of
the Gospel in that debauched house
hold. lie was constantly chained to a
Roman soldier, who was relieved
every four hours. Paul's whole soul
was wrapped up in his desire to
spread the truths Of his divine Master,
and he doubtless exhortcd every
eoldier to whom he was handcutfed to
come out of the darkness into the full
light of .he Christian faith. He was 8
master of human eloquence and had
consummate knowledge Of the springs
that operate on the human mind. lie
would succeed in impcessing some OF
those soldiers with the beauties and
truths of the new dispensation, and
they in their turn would communicate
these wonderful lessons otheir fellows
in the Pretorian Guards and to some
of the thousands OF attaches OF the
imperial palace. As little leaven
swelleth the dough into i'm
mense and increasing proportions, so
Paul would spread, through
his dungeon guards, the light OF
divine revelation, until he could with
truth salute the brethren at fhiiippi
with the greetings OF the saints IN
Casar's household. Let us apply TINS
Christian work Of Paul, under such
Instantaneous circumstances, to the
halting Christians of the present day.
One will tell you he cannot do any
satisfactory Christian work because OF
his secular employments; because OF
his worldly associations; because OF
his contracted opportunities. But here
was Christian shut out rom the
world, in chains and in pain yet see
what a benefcent work he v IS ena-
bled to perform, simply becau,e his
heart and soul and mind we've set
upon the task of diffusing the divine
know ledge that was within him. A
carpenter had come to him few days.
ago and told him that he thought he
would stop his manual labor and pre-.
pare himself for the ministry. tod
knows that speci teachers OF His
Word were greatly required. The field
was large and constantly widening, and
the laborers we're few. But that
carpenter in his own sphere could do
noble work. If he would carry the
teachings OF the Gospel into his every
day associations; if he would spread
the know ledge OF the word among his
fellows, and by precept and example
show the beauties Of the Christian life,
who will say what splendid results
would follow ? he weak. the hating.
{ ,e half-hearted Christian was too
easily discouraged. Ihey were in the
midst of opportunities, yet they
were blind to them. Their
courage was turned aside
b trifies, and there were others who
were so wrapped up in this worlds
affairs tibet they imperilled their souls
ior heeting advantages. Tho Church
was to them not m engine OF evan
gelization, but source Of seif-eXalta-
ton. Too many Of them looked upon
it's success as il became sanctuary OF
convenience for the upper classes. lie
recnllected that when he first assumed
the pastorate of little church, and
they had admitted at one time fifty
new members, ono Of his deacons
said: "Well, what does it all amount
tot There isn't tho rent OF pew
amongst all of them" These kind OF
Christians were the ones that wanted
all the hest places in the Temple. They
we're like the little Sunday-school
boy, who, on being told that the good
assembled to Heaven in golden
chariot, aeked if be WAS good and
should die, whether he could sit on
the box and drive? That kind Of
Christian was of no use in the work OF
building up the church. He would
not discourage the business man, the
mechanic nor any one from seeking
substantial success in life. That wa,
consistent with all the duties Of true
Christian. But it was the men who
laid their whole hearts and souls upon
the greed of gain, neglectins their
spiritual duties, looking down with
contempt upon the humble and the
lowly, and making religion q
means 10 their own exalta-
ton, who brought religion into dis
credit. He who does his whole duty
both in worldly and spiritual things,
who walks in the light of the Christian
virtues, and who carries into his sur
roundings the beauties of the true
Christian character - helping the
needy, comforting the sorrowing and
diffusing words OF solace and hope to
all around him-such men, in their
spheres, were strengthening the
Church and perceptibly planting the
seeds OF regeneration and divine wis
dem in ground where they would bear
fruit. Il Paul could spread the gospel
in the palace Of Nero, who is there SO
impotent in our time and in our situa-
ton that he cannot do his part in
spreading it in the dark and sinister
places of our great cities?
No ~ nnner.